1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a new and improved game ball racket, and in particular, relates to a game ball racket wherein certain components such as a bumper strip and/or a throatpiece are structurally integrated with the racket frame by the string with which the racket is strung.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many game ball rackets are known to the prior art. However, most presently known prior art game ball rackets have their components structurally integrated by metal fasteners such as screws, rivets, or by various joining techniques such as welding and brazing in the case of metal rackets and gluing in the case of wooden rackets. As is known to those skilled in the art of manufacturing game ball rackets, the reduction or elimination of manufacturing steps involved in using such prior art structural uniting techniques will result in an ease of manufacture with an attendant lower manufacturing cost due, primarily, to the reduction in manufacturing time.
With further regard to the prior art game ball rackets, and particularly with regard to the prior art racquetball rackets, it is generally required that the upper peripheral portion of game racquetball rackets be covered with a bumper strip for providing protection against inadvertent injury of one player by another player in swinging the racket and for protecting against damage to the wall surfaces of the court in which the racquetball game is played. As is known, may racquetball players improperly remove the bumper strip thereby increasing the danger and frequency of injury to other players and damage to the walls of the racquetball court. Accordingly, there exists a need in the game ball racket art, particularly the racquetball racket art, of a racquetball racket wherein the bumper strip is structurally united with the racket frame such that upon the bumper strip being removed the racket is rendered inoperable for play. Thus, it is a specific object of the present invention to provide a game ball racket, e.g. a racquetball racket, wherein the bumper strip is structurally united with the racket frame such that upon the bumper strip being removed the racket is rendered inoperable for play.
As is further known to those skilled in the game ball racket art, and particularly those skilled in the art of manufacturing metal rackets provided with a plastic throatpiece or yoke, such plastic throatpieces and metal frame are typically structurally united by metal screws which technique has provided a major advance in the racket art and has proven to be enormously successful. However, as will be understood by those skilled in the art of manufacturing game ball rackets, a still further improvement in the manufacture of such rackets can be provided if the assembly step of structurally uniting the throatpiece and the metal frame with the metal screws can be improved. Accordingly, it is a further specific object of the present invention to provide an improved game ball racket wherein the throatpiece of the racket is structurally united with the racket frame without the use of any permanent fasteners or joining techniques such as the above noted welding, brazing, riveting techniques.
As is still further known to those skilled in the game ball racket art, upon a ball and game ball racket impacting, the portions of the racket frame engaging the throatpiece or yoke of the racket experience torsional stress and at least limited torsional rotation with the opposed portions of the racket frame engaging the sides of the throatpiece experiencing limited torsional rotation in the opposite directions. This phenomenon, as is further known, tends to weaken the structural integration between the racket frame and the throatpiece and can ultimately fracture and destroy such structural integrity such as by breaking the rivets, or weld or braze. Accordingly, it is a further specific object of the present invention to provide structural integration between a game ball racket and its throatpiece which accommodates such torsional rotation by permitting limited relative rotational movement between the throatpiece and the portions of the racket frame engaging the sides of the throatpiece.